Sharing Your Faith
Witnessing is taking a good look at the Lord Jesus and then telling others what you've seen.
Designed for Discipleship pg. 92
7.1 - How comfortable do you feel sharing your faith with others? Rate yourself from 1 being low and 10 being very comfortable. What makes you feel comfortable or uncomfortable about sharing?
9 - I enjoy asking questions and talking about the full life that Jesus has given me.
7.2 - What are three reasons people might be hesitant to share their faith with others? How might someone overcome those barriers?
Fear of rejection - realize they are rejecting Jesus and not them
Not knowing what to say - learn and practice what to say
No models of how to do it - spend time with people who share their faith
7.3 - What is the essence of the Gospel? What are the main things that you would need to communicate to clearly offer salvation to someone?
John 3:16
Jesus, the son of God, was sent by God to earth. He lived a perfectly sinless life. He was judged and executed on the cross to pay for the sins of the world. He died and rose again on the 3rd day. Everyone who calls on the name of Jesus as Lord and Savior of their lives will be saved. They must Admit they are a sinner and need help, Believe that Jesus died and rose again for their salvation, and Commit their lives to Jesus as their King.
Read the passage below a couple of times and answer the following questions.
1 Peter 3:13-18
13 Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil.
18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,
7.4 - What are your initial thoughts as you read this passage?
7.5 - How can you "be prepared to make a defense" and make sure you act with "gentleness and respect"?
Your Personal Ministry is sharing the Gospel with people you know and people you meet so that they also can have a relationship with Jesus. "Successful evangelism" is not dependent on the response of the person but the faithfulness and boldness to offer the Good News of Jesus to others. Everyone is on their own path, taking steps each day to either a decision to follow Christ or not. When we share our faith correctly, we become a step in their conversion story. God gets the Glory, and we get the joy when we offer His grace and truth to others. We seed and water, and only God makes things grow.
We should prepare what to say. The most common way to talk to others about Jesus is to share what He has done in our life. This personal journey to a relationship with Christ is called one's "testimony". It is a good idea to write it down and develop a clear message of God's work in your life. It can be as simple as 3 paragraphs and should be shared in as little as 3-5 minutes.
Paragraph #1 - Tell about your life before Christ. (any church background, struggles, what was your attitude like toward God...)
Paragraph #2 - Tell about when you became a Christian. (who told you, what was going on in that season of life, how did you do it, your baptism...)
Paragraph #3 - Tell about your life now. How has choosing to follow Jesus changed your life?
We should prepare what to say when we need to explain the Gospel. The Gospel Diagram is one way to clearly share the Good News with others. Watch the video below.
Here is a link to the script of the Gospel Diagram. Use it to help you draw the diagram for another person. It can be for a family member, a friend, or even a coworker.
After you have prepared your testimony and practiced sharing the Gospel Diagram, please answer the questions below.
7.6 - Paste your testimony into the space below.
Dave Partin’s Testimony
I grew up in Jacksonville, Florida in a Christian home, and my family went to church every week. Both my parents are believers, but we stopped going to church when my father was stationed in Maine. So from 8yrs old to 12 my only spiritual environment was praying before family meals. When I was 12 we moved to Memphis, TN, and my family started going to church again. Within two months of hearing the Gospel at First Baptist Covington, I learned that just being a good and respectable kid was not enough to have a relationship with God.
This happened during evening service where I heard very clearly about the Good News of Jesus dying on the cross for my sins. The pastor shared from upfront how if I would put my faith in what Jesus has done for me and not what I can do, I could become a child of God. I wanted to become a Christian that night and was invited to come up and speak with my youth pastor after the service was over. Together we went through a short book that talked about how my sins required punishment and how Jesus took that punishment for me. One of the verses that still today impacts me is Romans 5:8, “God demonstrates His own love for us in this, while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” I desired to have a relationship with God so I prayed a prayer that professed my faith in Jesus for dying for my sins and thanked God for saving me. I became a Christian that night and was baptized a few weeks later.
I loved youth group as a teen so much that I have stayed involved in ministry since. I have been married for 17 years to a very God fearing and talented woman named Rivers. We have served in multiple ministries in 4 cities which included 4 years as missionaries with Cru in Budapest, Hungary. I love working at liberti church Harrisburg and look forward seeing how God uses our church to bring many into His kingdom for His glory and that many will find their satisfaction in Him.
7.7 - What did you learn about yourself as you wrote down your testimony? What opportunities could you use your story to share God's story and impact another person's story?
I know that my family was important to my story as well as the church. It was helpful to have a youth pastor walk with me and confirm my faith and be baptized in the church. It is a pretty transferrable and understandable story that most people could relate to.
7.8 - What was your experience watching and practicing the Gospel Diagram?
I really enjoy it. I did it with Melody and also asked her to draw it. I placed a sheet of paper over my drawing and she traced it as I helped her with the words. I also drew it for my D-Group. We had a good time.
7.9 - Pray and ask God to give you 3 names of people He might want you to share your faith with. Choose one of them and write down what the situation and conversation might look like if you shared your testimony and the gospel with them.
Doug U
Brett M
Take Doug out to lunch and bring a notebook and draw the diagram when I ask him his thoughts on Christianity.
End Session #7
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